Tips on losing weight are in high season at the beginning of the year, when good intentions for the new year are still fresh. Losing weight is also on many people’s list of resolutions in 2017. Online articles or women’s magazines often state that drinking a lot leads to weight loss. However, this statement is only partially correct, because reducing weight through a high fluid intake alone is not based on any sound scientific findings.
What you drink is crucial
Basically, what you drink is important. Water is always the best calorie-free choice. Pure fruit and herbal teas are also a good calorie-free alternative to keep you hydrated. Green, white and black tea are no less calorie-free. However, due to the caffeine they contain, they should not be overdosed and should not be drunk exclusively. The caffeine content of coffee must also be taken into account. What’s more, many people don’t drink this popular hot drink black, but with milk and sweetened. It therefore provides additional calories. Many classic soft drinks are only partially refreshing for the body. They are mainly additional sources of energy that you should keep an eye on when losing weight.
Soft drinks: the calorie traps
A 250 ml glass of apple juice spritzer, which is so popular with sports fans, contains around 65 kcal and a total of around 6 g of natural sugar. The often highly praised fruit buttermilk weighs in at just 200 ml with around 124 kcal and a good 22 g of sugar. Not all teas are the same. If you buy fruity iced tea, you can expect around 42 kcal and around 10 g of sugar per 250 ml of ready-to-drink beverage. Compared to a cola, with around 110 kcal and a proud 26 g of sugar per 250 ml, this is significantly less, but drunk several times, the iced tea is also quite literally a weighty drink. That’s why mineral water, tap water or freshly brewed fruit or herbal tea are always the best thirst quenchers and companions when losing weight.
Drinking water to consume calories
A lot does not always help to achieve a lot. The German Nutrition Society’s recommendation to drink an average of 1.5 liters of water a day is scientifically proven. However, drinking alone has little effect on weight loss. Drinking 1.5 liters of water increases the human energy expenditure by just 100 calories. If you were to increase the amount of water you drink each day to 3 liters, you would only consume 200 calories in total by drinking water. So from a purely physiological point of view, it is not possible to lose weight simply by drinking more water. The frequently cited trick of drinking ice-cold water to burn more calories doesn’t really work either. With a whole liter of ice-cold water, the body only needs 30 additional calories to warm it up to body temperature. However, water can help make losing weight easier.
Targeted use of water
Accepting and increasing is a comparatively simple phenomenon purely in terms of energy. If you consume more calories than you burn, you gain weight. If you consume fewer calories than you need, you lose weight. However, metabolic activity is not the same in every body, which is why some people find it easier to lose weight than others. However, everyone can trick their body a little when it comes to cutting calories. Drinking a glass of water before a meal fills your stomach in advance and means you eat smaller quantities. Drinking mineral or tap water throughout the day can also stop or delay the appetite for sweet or savory snacks at least a little. This saves energy throughout the day and at mealtimes.
Your water advantage when losing weight: Water is also very important for your health when losing weight for a completely different reason. Water helps the kidneys to get rid of metabolic waste products quickly. As losing weight produces more substances that need to be excreted, water is the most important companion when losing weight.
